840-009a

Conversation No. 840-9

Date: February 3, 1973
Time: 11:05 am - 12:08 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

The President's meeting with Clay T. (“Tom”) Whitehead
-Arrangement
-Stephen B. Bull
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Colson's presence
-W. Richard Howard
-Colson's departure

Colson's new role
-Outside capabilities
-George H. W. Bush
-Howard
-Phil Brady
-Whitehead
-Talking paper
-Federal Communications Commission [FCC] attitude
-Herbert G. Klein
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Press coverage
-Reaction to Whitehead speech

Press relations
-Coverage of administration
-Licensing of television [TV]
-Compared to newspapers
-Whitehead bill
-The President's TV station ownership policy
-Local ownership and control
 -19-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



-Washington Post
-Time
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Compared to newspapers
-Hearst chain
-Colson's television appearance
-Networks as public utility
-Compared to bus company
-Impact
-Pride
-Public resentment at networks
-Sindlinger
-Interpretation
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Media power
-[Arnold] Eric Sevareid
-Dan Rather's comments
-The President’s anger
-1962 election
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Press hostility
-Reporters' telephone calls to Colson
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-J. Strom Thurmond
-Press coverage of Vietnam
-Clawson
-Attacks on press
-Public support for administration

Vietnam settlement
-Material for Lincoln Day speech
-Bull
-Briefing for Republican Congressional Leaders
-Concise speech material
- Vermont Royster Column
-Paul Greenberg column
 -20-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



-Philadelphia newspaper
-Knight chain
-Press conference
-Zielger’s view
-Press reaction
-May Day arrests
-East Room press conference
-Press relations
-1972 election

M. Stanton Evans
-Far right wing criticism of the President
-John G. Schmitz
-John Loeb
-Smith Hempstone, Jr.
-Militarist

Vietnam settlement
-Briefing for Republican Congressional Leaders
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Cabinet
-Congressmen
-Surrogates
-John N. Mitchell
-Points against opposition
-Bay of Pigs
-John F. Kennedy

Watergate
-Strategy
- John J. Sirica
-Judicial philosophy
-Colson’s acquaintance with Sirica

-Admiration for the President and Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Political philosophy
 -21-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



-US Attorney [Earl J. Silbert]
-Democrat
-Sirica
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr. committee
-Ervin's philosophy
-Respect for Constitution
-Ervin's strategy
-Separation of powers
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Avoidance of Watergate
-1972 campaign
-Counterattack to charges on the President
-Democrats
-Daniel B. Brewster scandal
-Robert D. (“Bobby”) Baker
-Extent of scandal
-Senators
-Spiegel, Inc.
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Democratic Senators
-Administration’s efforts
-John W. Dean, III
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Brewster
-Charges against Senators
-Investigation by FBI
-Speigel, Inc.
-Habits
-Bribes
-R. Vance Hartke, Russell B. Long, Joseph M. Montoya
-FBI

Car incident
-Rushing the car
-Charges
-Felony
 -22-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



-Dean
-United States Secret Service [USSS] cooperation
-Bail

Watergate
-George S. McGovern actions during 1972 campaign
-Press attention
-Ervin investigation
-Gary W. Hart
-Dirty tricks
-Brewster case
-Ervin investigation
-Ervin’s colleagues
-Administration’s counterattacks
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Dean
-Investigation of Democrat dirty tricks
-Hugh Scott
-Everett M. Dirksen
-Jackson [?]
-Counterattacks
-Baker
-Rose Mary Woods, Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
-Baker’s reputation
-FBI
-Speigel, Inc.
-Brewster
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
-Hugh W. Sloan, Jr.
-Testimony
-John N. Mitchell
-Possible involvement discussed
-Haldeman
-Ehrlichman
-Reason for Watergate break-in
 -23-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



-Nation’s attitude
-Albert E. Sindlinger’s poll
-Democrats’ issue
-Investigation by IRS
-L. Lawrence Shultz as IRS General Counsel
-Relations with unions
-Peter J. Brennan
-George Meany
-Control of IRS
-George P. Shultz
-Donald A. Webster
-Loyalty
-Brewster case
-Investigation of Senators
-Dean
-Quality of work
-Watergate trial
-Sentencing
-Time
-Mistrial appeal
-Gerald Arch
-G. Gordon Liddy
-James McCord, Jr.
-Pleas
-Defendants
-Separation of powers
-White House aides
-Testimony
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Dean, Colson
-Mitchell, Maurice H. Stans
-Testimony
-Herbert W. Kalmbach, Dwight L. Chapin
-Testimony
-Haldeman
-Chapin testimony
-Colson
 -24-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



-Ervin Committee
-Investigation
-Defendants
-Testimony
-Grand jury
-Reconvening
-Sloan
-Seven defendants
-Mitchell testimony
-Earl J. Silbert
-Washington Post story
-Haldeman
-Haldeman testimony
-Requirement to testify

Henry A. Kissinger’s interview with Marvin L. Kalb
-Column in newspaper
-Speaking style
-John A. Scali
-Appearance on \"Issues and Answers\"
-\"Today\" show
-Abilities

John B. Connally
-Television [TV] appearance
-Defense of the President

Henry Cabot Lodge
-New York Times
-Defense of the President

Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Defense of the President

Joseph C. Kraft's telephone call to Colson
-Demands to meet with Colson
 -25-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



- New York Times

Marjorie Acker entered at an unknown time after 11:05 am.

Rose Mary Woods's meeting with Pat Buchanan

The President's telephone call to Woods
-Invitation to Israeli dinner
-Cabot Lodge and David K. E. Bruce
-Jordan dinner
-Bruce's invitation
-Trip to Jamaica
-Lodge's invitation

Acker's dress

Acker left at an unknown time before 12:08 pm.

Kraft's telephone call to Colson
-Meeting with Colson
-Colson's attacks on Kraft's integrity
-Kraft's talk with Kissinger
-Kraft's article on bombing
-Kissinger's position on bombing

Kissinger
-Colson's meeting with Kraft
-Kissinger's telephone call
-Haig [?]
-Colson's meeting with Kraft
-Informing Kissinger
-Kraft's source
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston's article
-Kraft's statement
-Conversations with Reston and Kraft
-Reasons for talking with Reston and Kraft
 -26-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



-TV appearance with Kalb
-Kissinger's credit for foreign policy
-Bombing decision
-The President's responsibility
-Nicholas P. Thimmesch
-Kraft
-Colson’s meeting with Kissinger
-Kissinger's departure to New York
-Vietnam negotiations
-October 26, 1972 “Peace is at hand” statement
-Bombing
-Kissinger’s role

Colson's meeting with Kraft
-Informing Kissinger
-Cooperation with the President's administration
-New York Times
-Kraft's future articles on Kissinger

Vietnam statement
-Nobel Peace Prize for Kissinger
-New York Times
-Harry Reasoner
-Kissinger’s position
-Bombing
-The President’s reaction
-Thimmesch
-Interview and article
-The President’s support for Kissinger
-Kissinger’s October 26, 1972 “Peace is at hand” statement
-Effect of statement on negotiations

Kissinger
-Intelligence
-Work
-Jew
 -27-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)




Jews in administration
-Arthur F. Burns
-William L. Safire
-Herbert Stein
-Leonard Garment
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-Insecurity
-Theory of genocide

Kissinger
-Colson’s international trip
-Talk with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Commerce Department
-Ego
-Country’s attitude
-Credit for the President
-Dwight D. Eisenhower, John Foster Dulles

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:05 am.

The President’s schedule
-Meeting with Kissinger

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:08 pm.

Mail on peace settlement
-Credit for the President alone
-Mention of Kissinger
-Lyndon K. (\"Mort\"), Buchanan
-Feelings toward Kissinger
-News summary

William P. Rogers
-Meeting with the President
-Melvin R. Laird
 -28-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



-Nobel Prize
-Paul Malik
-Swedish Nobel Prize jurors
-Support for the President
-Kissinger's candidacy
-New York Times
-Reasoner
-Allin

Kissinger
-Kraft meeting with Colson
-Colson’s article
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Kissinger's role in bombing

Reactions to Vietnam settlement
-Boston Globe
-Credit to the President alone
-Tenor of reactions
-Wall Street Journal
-Praise for the President
-Chicago Tribune
-Kissinger

Press relations
-Attacks on press
-The President’s press conference
-Edward R. G. Heath's departure [?]
-Rather
-Quality of reporting
-Letters to Rather
-The President's press conference
-Jules J. Witcover
-Coverage on TV news

-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
 -29-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Public attitudes
-Sindlinger

Reactions to Vietnam settlement
-Credit
-Beijing
-Chou En-lai
-Kissinger
-Press relations
-US public attitude
-Support for the President
-Sindlinger
-Retail sales
-Stock market
-Phase III
-Burns

Economy
-Danger of bust
-1974 elections
-Unemployment
-George Shultz
-Unemployment figures
-Credibility
-Geoffrey H. Moore [?]
-Peter G. Peterson
-US Steel

Editorial
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Camp David

Abortion decision [Roe v. Wade]
-Reactions
-Supreme Court
 -30-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 840-9 (cont’d)



-George H. Gallup
-Poll

Federal spending
-Congress
-Social programs
-Country's reactions
-Revolt

Abortion
-Antiabortion sentiment
-Gallup
-Poll
-William F. Buckley, Jr. column
-Catholic
-Conservative columnists

Capital punishment
-Public attitudes

Colson left at 12:08 pm.